We conclude our four-week worship series this Sunday called The Difference Heaven Makes with emphasis on the ethics and hope of heaven.
Our worship series has been rooted in the biblical texts below and the work of two important theologians: Christopher Morse (The Difference Heaven Makes) and Jurgen Moltmann (Sun of Righteousness, ARISE! and In the End-The Beginning)
Outline of Series
September 8: Hearing of Heaven Today (Isaiah 60.1-9)
September 15: The Theology of Heaven (I Corinthians 7.29-31)
September 22: The Reality of Heaven (Luke 24.1-8)
September 29: The Ethics and Hope of Heaven (Romans 15.13)
What insights about heaven have come to you over the last few weeks?
Take time to read Romans 15.13
The following is an interview of Dr. Christopher Morse by Dr Trevor Eppehimer (from http://www.salisburypost.com/Opinion/010911-insight-heaven-pic-qcd):
Eppehimer: You have a chapter in your book titled “The Ethics of Heaven.” Many people, upon seeing this chapter’s title, might think that it is about how one should live one’s life so as to qualify for admission to heaven upon death. That, however, is not the direction you take. What is it, then, that you have in mind when you talk about the “ethics of heaven” in your book?
Morse: To pray that “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” is to acknowledge that heaven involves a doing. Notice, it is a doing based upon a coming. But what in practice does this mean? In the Gospel this heavenly doing is said to be a coming to us from God that is described as “at hand” but not under our control, not in our hands or originating from us. From this Gospel standpoint what we call ethics, or our human responsibility, is actually our being enabled to respond to what is taking place. Jesus called his disciples to seek this kingdom at hand in the promise that it is the Father’s good pleasure to give it to us. In doing so we are said to become witnesses of what is being done in heaven.
If you have been following our blog for the last month, how has our series on heaven challenged and inspired you to be enabled to respond to what is taking place? When and where have you witnessed heaven these last few weeks?
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